Police officer sentenced to death for killing government adviser in Iraq.

An Iraqi court has sentenced police officer Ahmed Hamdawi to death for leading a group that killed government adviser Hisham al-Hashemi in Baghdad in July 2020. Hashemi was known for advising the government on defeating ISIS and curbing the influence of pro-Iran militias. Hamdawi can appeal the sentence, and he did not respond to the judge's ruling during the court session. No group claimed responsibility for the murder, but Hamdawi admitted to leading the group that killed Hashemi in a video aired on Iraqi state television in 2021.